A love story between an assassin and a lady.
The bell's clang came with dawn. Sunrays crept into Grey's shadowy room, the unusual wooden clock made a click, he started with his face pressed to the pillow mumbling something like 'Bevilwoodwarming,' then aimed for the plastic table by the window, going on his knees.
"Open thou my eyes oh Lord, that I may behold wondrous things, out of Thy word, for Christ's sake. Amen."
Grey rose, took his seat rubbing his eyes-ready to begin his morning ritual with his Bible.
He was raised in a strict Christian family with high standards, the kind that don't accept fiddles to pure moral behaviour. Grey was the first of three children, and a graduate of the University of Port City, the very one his younger brother had applied to, while his younger sister was in her Junior secondary class three, preparing for her Junior West African Examination (JWAE).
Grey was a fair, healthy twenty-five-year-old with small brown eyes, black hair, a lean muscular build, and a beard.
"Thank you for the illumination of Your word. Guide my path that I may know Thy precepts. Keep me safe from harm."
His prayers had shortened with each passing day since the dawn of reality. He rose with a sober face, not for this day being a Sunday, but for the next-he would begin his mad walk through the busy streets of Port City, job hunting under the glaring hot sun and sweat-soaked suit with the angry face of a persistent, worrisome landlord screaming in his mind, "I'm not running a charity here. Pay your rent."
He undressed, had his bath, walked to his cloth hanger, picked out a lace material he donned on. He didn't care so much for his looks these days, that was the least of his concerns-a miracle was all he needed.
Grey walked over to his table to find his Bible study manual. And in his search, a leaflet slid from the table to the floor-his eyes followed it. The search for the manual ceased, he picked up the fiery coloured leaflet reading the contents:
The Fiery Serpent Church
No. 34 Beryl Avenue, Port City, Rivers, Nigeria.
Such an unusual name for a Nigerian Church, he thought. Grey spotted the red faded serpent on a cross with the reading:
Numbers 21:8
And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
Have you been bitten by the reality of life? Worship with us today at the Fiery Serpent Church.
Grey jerked his head to recollect how he had gotten this, then it clicked. On the joyous day of his convocation, a lady (he couldn't vividly picture with the day's celebration) passed several of these to him and his colleagues. Grey stared at it wondering, not so far from my place. At least he would miss the tiring festival fated to end by two in the afternoon, he thought, for he was a devoted Anglican.
He picked up his Bible still clutching the leaflet, walked out the door, closed his burglary with the usual small padlock, then left through the gate.
He lived in a student's environment with a 'C' shaped two-story building-Grey's room was on the first floor. Thankfully, his normal customers who asked if there was any progress with his job-seeking were all closed and wouldn't be open until that evening, he made it smoothly to the road.
He waved down a taxi going to Beryl Avenue, he got in, and moments later, he was out facing a huge white structure seated inside a fenced environment with flashy cars on the inside, sweat sprang on the back of his neck. Grey's jaw dropped.
Something I wouldn't regret today, he thought. He wiped his face, then the back of his neck before acknowledging the blazing sun.
Grey came from a middle-class family, the kind content enough to escape the financial cruelty of each passing day, but never privileged to be around the wealthy class.
"I would be sure to make friends today," he said to himself.
Grey walked past the armed security at the gate, and a few others spotted around the compound with policemen by certain engine running bulletproof vehicles-into the church.
Behind sliding glass doors, the chilled air welcomed Grey before the ushers did. The white-painted auditorium was brightly lit and packed with people in great fashion attire. He looked to the altar-a man in white robe addressed the congregation before a glass pulpit sitting on a red rug with a large poster of the fiery serpent behind him. The auditorium was filled, an usher vacated his seat for Grey, and he sat-catching the words of the Pastor.
"There's life between the cracks. In a field of fire, we are the blooming roses. In a dry and thirsty land, we are the ocean. We are calm, undistorted bright rays in the midst of darkening storms," the pastor said, then went into the verse for that day.
Grey took notes, marked verses called from the Bible, did a brief research on his own, and closed his Bible when the pastor began to summarize.
"We must pray. A prayerless soul is a Christless soul. Prayer is the lisping of the believing infant. The shout of the fighting believer, the requiem of the dying saint falling asleep in Jesus. It is the breath, the watchword, the comfort, the strength, the honour of a Christian," the pastor said, then gazed from side to side.
A pin drop could be heard from any corner of the auditorium.
"You have been bitten by life?" the pastor went on to ask. "Look to the fiery serpent who is Jesus. He won't just let you live again, but every area struggling in your life would breathe. Pen down that request now in prayer. Pen it down."
Right after his first encounter with The Secret, Grey enjoys the comfort of his home when he is called back to service to serve The Secret, a force he can't say no to. This time, she gives him various tales, like avenging the dead, and his favourite, looking after Helen.
After a sex filled night with a beautiful, strange lady, Elvin is torn between eagerness to say goodbye to this lady, and the desire to have one more feel of last night when the government declares a lockdown. He finds himself trapped inside his home with her, and just like him, she also wants more experiences like last night, although, through a series of games.
For ages, the harmless, resting form and grave of five sisters—a beautiful, tidy house has stayed silent, and undisturbed. Suddenly, this house is broken into by outlaws. There are set out conditions for humans to reside within this house, but unaware of the consequences if the rules are broken, and the powers that reside within the house, these outlaws cause further damage, thereby awakening the sleeping powers within the house. These powers, hungry, itchy, and thirsty, feast on these men and regain their strength. As they release themselves, and find their way out into the world, their new assignment becomes finding, stalking, and hunting those who buried them in here, locked them inside the house, and eventually turned them into the house, and their tone to man is one man deems unfair.
Worried with his wife's views about sex, and her refusal to let him please her the way a woman should be pleased, Karl refuses to give her the one thing she so desperately needs, which is a child. This sets him on a path to distract himself, leading him to an unlikely fellow, his first love.
She is one who loves fiercely, but it always ends badly for her lovers. One boy upsets her pattern of love crisis, and she would rather leave him, than destroy him. However, there's more to this boy than she realizes.
Nancy replaced her sister to marry Charlie. She originally thought it would be a widow-like marriage. But Charlie who had disappeared for three years suddenly came back. She was so scared that she turned around and ran, but was cornered by him. ”What, are you so excited to see me?” Nancy forced a smile, “Yeah, I've been looking forward to your return every day.” ”Hmm...” Charlie raised her chin with his slender fingers, “If so, then let me satisfy your need.” After saying that, he was about to forcefully kiss her. But Nancy blocked her face, “Don’t forget you’re my brother-in-law. I shouldn’t have said that...” Charlie gently interrupted her, “The one who married me, who got the marriage certificate with me, is you. I’m not your brother-in-law. I’m your husband. Call me darling, I can die for you.”
Two years after her marriage, Ximena lost consciousness in a pool of her own blood during a difficult childbirth. She forgot that her ex-husband was actually getting married to someone else that day. "Let's get a divorce, but the baby stays with me." His words before their divorce was finalized still lingered in her head. He wasn't there for her, but he wanted full custody of their child. Ximena would rather die than see her child call someone else mother. As a result, she gave up the ghost on the operating table with two babies left in her belly. But that wasn't the end for her... Years later, fate caused them to meet again. Ramon was a changed man this time. He wanted to keep her to himself even though she was already a mother of two children. When he found out about her wedding, he stormed into the venue and created a scene. "Ramon, I died once before, so I don't mind dying again. But this time, I want us to die together," she yelled, glaring at him with hurt in her eyes. Ximena thought he didn't love her and was happy that she was finally out of his life. But what she didn't know was that the news of her unexpected death had shattered his heart. For a long time, he cried alone due to the pain and agony. He always wished he could turn back the hands of time or see her beautiful face once again. The drama that came later became too much for Ximena. Her life was filled with twists and turns. Soon, she was torn between getting back with her ex-husband or moving on with her life. What would she choose?
On her wedding night, Natalie's stepmother set her up to marry Jarvis, a disfigured and disabled man. Fortunately, she managed to escape, but little did she know that later she would fall for the man she was betrothed to.Jarvis pretended to be a poor man, but he didn't think that he'd fall head over heels for this woman.Their life went on until one day, Natalie found out her boyfriend's little secret."Huh? How could you have billions of dollars' worth of assets?" she asked in disbelief.Jarvis didn’t know how to respond.Being met with silence, she gritted her teeth angrily. "They said that you couldn't walk, but as far as I can see, you're strong enough to run a marathon."Still, he remained silent.Natalie continued, "They even said that you only have a few years to live. What about now?"Finally, Jarvis opened his mouth to explain. "Honey, this is all just a misunderstanding. Please calm down. Think about the baby.""Jarvis Braxton!"The man knelt down immediately.
Kayley returned to Brayden's side for the sake of her dancing career. By day, they were step-siblings. By night, they were lovers. As her feelings deepened, she came to realize that she was a mere substitute for his lost love. They broke up. Kayley reinvented herself and became a beloved star. Seeing her perform in front of so many adoring eyes, Brayden panicked. "Please come back to me!" "You're the one who broke things off." "And I deeply regret it!"
Emilee had never envisioned ending up in bed with Jonny, let alone becoming his wife through a contractual agreement. Yet, Jonny's heart belonged to another. When his true love came back, Emilee was overwhelmed with despair and chose to seek a divorce. But the typically distant and reserved man was unexpectedly firm in his refusal. "Emilee, the moment you married me, your life became mine! In this family, one may become a widow, but divorce is not an option!"
“Drive this woman out!” "Throw this woman into the sea!” When he doesn’t know Debbie Nelson’s true identity, Carlos Hilton cold-shoulders her. “Mr. Hilton, she is your wife,” Carlos’ secretary reminded him. Hearing that, Carlos gives him a cold stare and complained, “why didn’t you tell me earlier?” From then on, Carlos spoils her rotten. Little did everyone expect that they would get a divorce.